Thailand Ministry of Health reports 18,943 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 69 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 25,005 recovered patients.
Yesterday, 24,236 positive results from antigen test kits were added to the tally. The total number reached 45,398 according to the Department of Disease Control. Dr. Sumanee Wacharasin, hazard communication director of the DDC acknowledged increasing case numbers.
“New daily cases are slowly increasing. The number of patients with lung inflammation and dependent on ventilators is also increasing as daily new cases rise,” Dr. Sumanee said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the health care system to provide treatment for those testing positive. This comes after a number of people complained they could not access the healthcare system. He called Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang to inquire more about the issue.
Beginning March 1, the outpatient care of COVID-19 patients took effect. Under the new scheme, people who have mild to no symptoms can be prescribed favipiravir or fah talai jone. Additional medications are also available if the doctor deems it necessary.
For those infected with COVID and with underlying health issues, self-isolation with a telecare system can be arranged. Community isolation and hospitels are also available. For those with severe symptoms, they will be admitted to the hospital right away.
The outpatient service is to avoid overwhelming the healthcare systems and reserving hospital beds for those who really need it.
In Washington, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has added Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand to high alert countries. This means that it is not recommended to visit the country at the moment due to the COVID cases.
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